About me
Hi, I'm Katarzyna — a language teacher, ELT professional and teacher trainer based in Kraków.
I have taught languages to children, teenagers and adults in Poland and the UK, working with learners from beginner to advanced and near-native levels.
My teaching combines strong language development with communication, critical thinking and meaningful real-life tasks. I am particularly interested in Project-Based Learning, learner engagement and creating classrooms in which students are expected to think, collaborate and produce something that genuinely matters.
My professional background
I am an experienced language teacher with a background in international education, private teaching, summer schools and teacher development. My professional experience includes working as:
- an EAL teacher at a British international school in Kraków
- an English teacher in the UK
- a teacher trainer
- an Assistant Director of Studies (ADOS)
- a freelance language teacher working with children, teenagers and adults
- an Italian teacher, including IGCSE and Matura preparation
- a teacher of Polish as a foreign and second language
I have taught learners from A1 to C1+, both individually and in groups, in face-to-face and online settings. My experience includes General English, academic skills, examination preparation, project-based courses and courses designed around real-world outcomes.
I have also worked with international groups of teenagers in the UK on courses involving sustainability, global citizenship, ethical fashion, drama, debate and collaborative problem-solving.
My approach
Language is something you use, not something you complete.
Successful language learning requires much more than completing exercises correctly. Students need opportunities to make decisions, solve problems, express opinions, negotiate meaning, create things and communicate for a genuine purpose.
Communication first
Students need to use language meaningfully rather than only complete exercises.
Personalisation
Materials and lessons are selected according to the learner rather than following one textbook mechanically.
Real-world outcomes
Language should lead to something: a conversation, a decision, a presentation, a project, an argument, a solution.
High expectations with support
Learners should be challenged, and given the structure and scaffolding they need to meet that challenge.
Thinking through language
Language lessons can develop critical thinking, creativity and collaboration as well as linguistic accuracy.
Feedback and improvement
Students should have opportunities to draft, receive feedback and improve their work.
Inclusive teaching
My teaching experience has included learners with different educational needs and learning profiles. I believe that differentiation should not mean lowering expectations.
Instead, I aim to make demanding tasks accessible through appropriate scaffolding, clear instructions, carefully designed materials, different ways of participating and sufficient preparation. I have incorporated topics such as dyslexia, neurodiversity and empathy into project work, and have experience adapting teaching to diverse groups of learners.
High expectations should remain high; support should make those expectations accessible.
Qualifications
My academic and professional development combines language teaching, linguistics, education and cognitive approaches to learning.
CELTA — Grade A
Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults
Full-time course completed through the British Council
MA — Teaching Polish as a Foreign and Second Language
MA — Italian Studies
Jagiellonian University
BA — Italian Studies
Jagiellonian University
Postgraduate studies — Cognitive Skills Training
SWPS University
Polish pedagogical teaching qualification
International experience
- Kraków
- Poland
- United Kingdom
- International education
I am based in Kraków, Poland, but my professional experience is international. I have worked in both Poland and the United Kingdom, including British international education and UK summer-school environments.
Working with multilingual and multicultural groups has strongly influenced my teaching philosophy. I am interested not only in whether students can produce grammatically correct English, but whether they can use language to participate confidently in an international environment.
Who I work with
Teenagers
who need English for school, examinations or international education — or who simply want to become genuinely confident users of the language.
Adults
who want personalised, intellectually engaging language lessons rather than a standard textbook course.
Advanced learners
who have already studied English for years but want greater precision, range, fluency and confidence.
Teachers and organisations
interested in Project-Based Learning, communicative teaching and learner engagement.
A little more about me
Languages have shaped both my education and my career. I studied Italian and later specialised academically in teaching Polish to international learners, while English became the main language of my professional life.
I am particularly fascinated by what happens when students stop treating a language as a school subject and start using it as a tool for thinking, creating, collaborating and connecting with other people. That is the idea behind KAT ELT.